Bento Box Snacks for Volleyball Tournaments

This is the view from my hotel. It was mostly urban blight except for this garden oasis.

We spend a lot of time at kids’ sports games. This past three-day weekend was spent at Grasshopper and Sensei’s first big volleyball tournament, the New England Youth Volleyball Championships in Hartford, Connecticut. She stayed in a rooming group with her teammates and I had a room (for one) to myself. But we needed to bring food for the weekend — breakfast, lunch and snacks — with no refrigeration.

How do you pack up for that?! We brought a cooler for the car that kept the food cold until we could check in. We left at 6 in the morning and got our rooms at 4pm. The ice bucket from the room could be used to keep the yogurt cold for the night. Fruit — bananas, apricots, tangerines — were fine kept out on the table. And snacks were on hand for quick refueling.

The volleyball games last ALL DAY. That’s right. They have three games plus they work as referees for an additional game. Each volleyball game itself consists of two games; winner gets 25 points. If there is a tie, there is an additional third game; winner gets 15 points.

I’m new to volleyball, so I find the rules confusing. But after 8 hours in the gym, I am tired and hungry and I haven’t done a thing except sit in a chair, take photos and move from court to court. No wonder my daughter is ravenous at these events. Her coach wants his players to eat healthy foods in a mindful way. Timing for lunch is everything. No playing on a full stomach … that just makes you sluggish.

But the girls still need a steady supply of snacks throughout the day. Horizon Organics snacks fit the bill. I finally got a brilliant idea; a bento box is a perfect way to get a mix of snacks in a handy carry case!

How about you? What healthy snacks do you pack for your kids’ lunch boxes, sports events, or overnight tournaments with no access to refrigeration? Please share! Thanks!

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This conversation is sponsored by Horizon. The opinions and text are all mine.